Skubal yielded only one run on three hits and three walks while striking out 14 over 7.2 innings to pick up the win in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Guardians.

The Guardians managed to scratch together a run in the bottom of the fourth inning despite not hitting the ball out of the infield, and Skubal also walked the light-hitting Austin Hedges twice. He was otherwise in complete control, regularly topping 100 mph with his fastball and inducing 26 swinging strikes on 107 pitches. The left-hander's 14 strikeouts tied a Tigers postseason record. If the Tigers advance to the ALDS to play the Mariners, Skubal would likely start Game 2 on Sunday.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that Early would likely start a potential Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Yankees, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Early became the most likely candidate to take the ball in Game 3 after Lucas Giolito (elbow) went down, and Cora has confirmed it will indeed be the lefty, barring something unforeseen. The rookie collected a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 29:4 K:BB across 19.1 innings covering four September starts for the Red Sox.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday that while Giolito's right elbow injury is not as bad as the team feared it might be, the hurler is unlikely to be available at any point during the postseason, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Giolito seems to have been cleared of any structural damage after a visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, but the right-hander needs extended rest, so he's done for the season even if the Red Sox make a deep postseason run. It's poor timing for the Red Sox and also Giolito, who will enter free agency this winter. Giolito had a nice bounce-back 2025 campaign, posting a 3.41 ERA and 121:56 K:BB over 145 frames, but he'll head into the free-agent market with health questions.

Gil is not part of the Yankees' wild-card roster.

The Yankees are going with Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Cam Schlittler as their three starters in the American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, and they've decided against including Gil on the roster as a reliever. Will Warren is on the roster as a reliever, and either Warren or Gil could be added back to the rotation if the Yankees advance to the ALDS.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Giolito is dealing with a right elbow injury and will not be on the team's American League Wild Card Series roster against the Yankees, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.

If healthy, Giolito would have started a potential Game 3. Instead, he is headed to visit with Dr. Jeffrey Dugas, who performed the right-hander's March 2024 internal brace surgery. More clarity on Giolito's possible availability for later playoff rounds could be available following that exam. Connelly Early would now seem to be the favorite to start a potential Game 3 against the Yankees, though Cora declined Monday to divulge who would pitch that contest.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Monday that Schlittler would start Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series versus the Red Sox on Thursday, if necessary, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Schlittler solidified himself as the best option for a potential Game 3 by striking out nine over seven shutout innings against the Orioles in his final regular-season start. The rookie right-hander finished the campaign with a 2.96 ERA and 84:31 K:BB over 73 frames covering 14 starts. With Schlittler pegged for Game 3, Luis Gil and Will Warren will either be in the bullpen for the first round of the postseason or left off the roster.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Monday that Rodriguez (elbow) will begin ramping up his throwing program in October, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to multiple issues with his pitching arm and eventually had a right elbow debridement to remove a bone spur in August. Barring setbacks, Rodriguez is expected to be ready for the beginning of spring training. Even if he stays healthy in 2026, Rodriguez is likely to have some workload restrictions in place following a lost season.

Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Monday that the team plans for Wells to be a starting pitcher next season, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

It's possible Wells opens next season in the bullpen if the Orioles make multiple high-impact starting pitcher acquisitions this offseason, but the righty set himself up well to be a member of the 2026 rotation after collecting a 2.91 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 18:2 K:BB over 21.2 innings in four September starts following a return from UCL revision surgery. Because he's totaled just 62.1 frames over the last two seasons, Wells' workload will likely be monitored closely in 2026.

Ragans didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Athletics, allowing two hits and one walk over 4.1 scoreless innings. He struck out eight.

The left-hander was electric despite the short outing, piling up 17 swinging strikes on 72 pitches while leaning heavily on his fastball. He put together a particularly dominant stretch during which he struck out six of eight batters faced. Since returning from the injured list, Ragans has been exactly what the Royals hoped for, looking sharp across three outings. Over that span, he's delivered a 2.77 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and a 22:4 K:BB across 13 innings, showing not only that his strikeout ability remains intact but also that there are no lingering concerns about his durability or effectiveness heading into the offseason.

Bradish didn't factor into the decision Sunday against the Yankees, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out eight over four innings.

Bradish came out hot, striking out Trent Grisham to begin the day, but was tagged for a solo homer by Ben Rice before he could generate any more momentum. Later, three consecutive singles brought home another run in the fourth but the right-hander responded by striking out the side to escape further damage and keep Baltimore in the game. The 29-year-old has been sharp in limited action this season, never allowing more than two runs in any of his six starts while racking up a 13.2 K/9. Bradish posts a 2.53 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 47:10 K:BB across 32 innings.